A common lie spread by those who support the common core is that this is a standard and not a curriculum which they say will be left up to the local districts. Kyle Olsen at EAG News has it exactly right about how local districts will purchase curriculum under Common Core.
“One might argue that there’s a firewall against such political mischief, since it’s up to local school districts to decide how they’re going to teach the new math and English standards to students.
But most school districts in Common Core-aligned states won’t be designing their own unique curriculum. That would require a lot of time, money and brainpower.
Instead most districts have purchased – or will purchase – a pre-written, Common Core-ready curriculum from a major textbook company, like the Zaner-Bloser company.”
The video below explains in greater detail Kyle’s concerns. However, if you are short on time, beginning at the 1:59 mark you can see what Olsen discovered in one such text which teaches 3rd graders to protest in their school, in a unit on “Rights and Responsibilities.”
Olsen is shocked and so should every parent, “We have teachers – teachers! – who are showing 8- and 9-year-olds how to be defiant and unruly.”
Sadly, however when parents protest the Common Core we are marginalized and ridiculed by lawmakers. Consider what Representative Kelly said about those who dislike HCR 11 and calling his office to protest. From the Detroit News:
“I think that we want to get this right,” Kelly told reporters. “I think with this resolution, we’vemarginalized, quite frankly, the anti-crowd into a very minute number. If you can’t sign on to this, you’re just simply reading too much into this or you’re reading so much anti (Common Core rhetoric) … and have poisoned yourself so much that you can’t come back from it.”
The Detroit News later changed the article and shortened the quote. It now reads, “Kelly acknowledged passage of the resolution is not a done deal, saying some lawmakers have been “poisoned” by anti-Common Core rhetoric.
Either way, Kelly has it completely wrong about who is being “poisoned.” Our children are being poisoned by curriculum aligned to the Common Core. Once Common Core Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments are fully implemented, Michigan can never come back from it.
So maybe instead of calling or emailing, parents should march around the halls in Lansing chanting “Si Si puede!” and we’ll finally put a stop to all this common core nonsense. And if challenged we’ll simply say we’re following a 3rd grade curriculum aligned to the common core.